How cool would it be to have two sitting federal judges at the same time from the little town of Williamsburg?
I think I can speak for most people in Williamsburg, Whitley County and even Corbin when I say it would be pretty darn cool.
While it probably won’t make the history books, Aug. 18, 2026, may be a date a lot of Williamsburg residents remember for a very long time.
Early that afternoon, a ceremony was held at the federal courthouse in London renaming the building the Eugene E. Siler Jr. United States Courthouse in honor of the longtime judge.
It is the only federal building in Kentucky bearing someone’s name.
Siler served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky from 1970-1975 after an appointment by President Richard Nixon.
President Gerald Ford appointed him as U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District and Western District of Kentucky in 1975. He served in that position until President George W. Bush appointed him to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 1991.
Both judicial appointments were by unanimous vote.
How big of a deal is it to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals?
The U.S. Court of Appeals is the second highest court in the land behind the United States Supreme Court. Presidents often pick U.S. Supreme Court nominees from judges at this level.
Siler held the Sixth Circuit position until assuming senior status on Dec. 31, 2001. It is a position he still holds today.
Later in the afternoon on Aug. 18, President Donald Trump announced in a post on Trump on Truth Social he was nominating Daniel Ballou as a U.S. District Judge for Eastern District of Kentucky. In this role, Ballou would help oversee cases involving people charged with federal crimes and preside over federal civil court lawsuits filed in this part of the state.
Ballou, who is one of Siler’s former law clerks, is a longtime judge in Whitley and McCreary counties. He served as district judge from January 2003 thru November 2007 when he won a special election as circuit judge to replace the retiring Jerry Winchester. It is a position he continues to hold.
Ballou has been a public servant for almost all his adult life serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve for several years. In addition, he has served as a judge most of his professional career since becoming licensed as an attorney.
Commonwealth Attorney Ronnie Bowling probably summed it up best in a post on his personal Facebook page where he wrote he hated losing Ballou as a circuit judge but was happy for Ballou to get the call to the federal bench.
“A true public servant that’s tough on crime but compassionate for those that need mercy,” Bowling wrote.
I do not think I could have written or said it better.
Both Siler and Ballou are well-deserving of their honors.
There are a few things people need to keep in mind about Ballou’s nomination.
He still must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
There is NO guarantee he will be confirmed. The process could get derailed. It happens periodically.
It is political process now.
This will not go quickly. It will likely take months.
Confirmation could happen by year’s end but could take longer. If Republicans lose control of the U.S. Senate during the mid-term elections, I look for Senate Republicans to rush through confirmation on all Trump’s judicial appointments by year’s end. Newly elected senators will take office starting Jan. 1, 2027.
Ballou will continue serving as circuit judge until he gets the appointment.
Personally, I am rooting for Ballou to be confirmed.
He has been a good judge and is a friend.
I had hoped to get him to run for Congressman Hal Rogers seat, if, and when Rogers ever retires. Ballou could win. A retired U.S. Marine with a reputation as a law-and-order judge would go over well with most voters in our region. I think it will go over well with Republicans in the senate too.
A federal judgeship is the much better job of the two. It is a lifetime appointment and campaigning and fundraising are not required as those two things are for a congressman. For those, who did not pay attention in civics class, congressmen must run for re-election every two years.
I wish Ballou the best of luck in this process, but I have a feeling he will not need it.
